5 Francs

The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale operated under French authority across West Africa, and by 1941 its currency supply had become a logistical problem. With German occupation cutting off normal commercial printing routes, the Banque de France took over production of these small-denomination notes — an arrangement that consolidated wartime printing under state control rather than private contractors.

Ernest Deloche was a skilled intaglio engraver whose work appeared across multiple French colonial series of the period. The Sébastien Laurent design credit is relatively rare in BAO material, making this a somewhat distinct commission within the broader wartime output.